Vice President of Growth - Marigolds and Onions

Marigolds and Onions, one of Toronto’s most sought after Catering & Events Company since 1991 is looking for a professional to be part of our culinary team.

The Vice President, Growth - Canada is responsible for leading Marigolds & Onions' business development and market expansion efforts throughout Canada. Reporting directly to the Chief Development Officer, the role will identify, qualify, cultivate, and convert strategic new business opportunities while building senior-level relationships across the Canadian sports, entertainment, hospitality, venue, cultural, and institutional markets. 

The role sits under the Marigolds & Onions banner and operates as part of the broader Growth organization. The Vice President will lead Canadian opportunities for M&O and, where strategically appropriate, help develop opportunities that leverage the capabilities and resources of the broader Proof of the Pudding platform. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute a focused Canadian growth strategy in partnership with the Chief Development Officer and M&O leadership. 

• Build and maintain a forward-looking pipeline of high-quality opportunities aligned with company growth priorities. 

• Identify priority markets, clients, venues, developments, and industry segments where M&O can establish a meaningful competitive position. 

• Proactively identify opportunities before formal procurement processes through relationship development, market intelligence, contract-expiration tracking, and industry connectivity. 

• Provide ongoing market intelligence, competitive insights, and strategic recommendations regarding M&O's expansion in Canada. 

• Originate new business through existing relationships, proactive outreach, referrals, strategic partnerships, industry involvement, and targeted prospecting. 

• Develop trusted relationships with venue owners, sports organizations, entertainment properties, developers, institutions, consultants, and other senior decision-makers. 

• Lead client discovery and assess objectives, operating challenges, financial priorities, decision criteria, and competitive dynamics. 

• Own qualified opportunities through the full development cycle, including strategy, discovery, solution development, proposals, presentations, negotiations, and contract execution. 

• Position M&O and the broader Proof platform effectively against incumbent providers and other competitors. 

• Support the successful transition of newly awarded business from Growth into operations. 

• Maintain an accurate and disciplined pipeline, including pursuit strategy, relationship mapping, probability, timing, competitive position, financial potential, and next actions. 

• Evaluate opportunities based on strategic fit, projected revenue and EBITDA, capital requirements, operational complexity, competitive dynamics, and likelihood of conversion. 

• Prioritize opportunities thoughtfully and ensure company resources are concentrated on pursuits with the strongest strategic and financial rationale. 

• Provide regular pipeline forecasts and business development updates to the Chief Development Officer. 

• Maintain timely and accurate opportunity information in the company CRM and other Growth-management systems. 

• Partner with operations, culinary, finance, legal, marketing, and proposal resources to develop differentiated client solutions. 

• Participate in underwriting, commercial structuring, and internal review of significant opportunities. 

• Coordinate internal resources throughout each pursuit while maintaining clear ownership of the client relationship and next steps. 

• Work closely with M&O leadership and the broader Proof organization to align opportunities with available capabilities, resources, and operating priorities. 

• Represent M&O and Proof at client meetings, site visits, industry conferences, and strategic networking events. 

• Development of a meaningful, qualified Canadian opportunity pipeline. 

• New business wins and associated revenue and EBITDA contribution. 

• Strength and depth of senior-level client and industry relationships. 

• Identification of opportunities prior to formal RFP processes whenever possible. 

• Accuracy and quality of pipeline forecasting and CRM discipline. 

• Strategic and financial quality of pursued opportunities. 

• Effective collaboration with M&O and broader Proof operating and functional teams. 

• Expansion of M&O's reputation and presence within the Canadian marketplace. 

• Significant senior-level experience in business development, commercial leadership, hospitality, sports and entertainment, venue management, food service, or a related industry. 

• Strong understanding of the Canadian sports, entertainment, hospitality, venue, cultural, and/or institutional marketplace. 

• Established network of relevant Canadian industry relationships. 

• Demonstrated ability to originate, develop, negotiate, and close complex, multi-stakeholder business opportunities. 

• Strong financial and commercial judgment, including the ability to assess strategic fit and economic viability. 

• Excellent communication, presentation, relationship-building, and negotiation skills. 

• Highly entrepreneurial, self-directed, and comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy and accountability. 

• Strong organizational discipline, including pipeline management, forecasting, and follow-through. 

• Ability and willingness to travel extensively throughout Canada and periodically to the United States. 

Compensation & Benefits 

• The compensation range for this role is CAD $185,000 - $215,000 annually.
• A generous benefit package will be offered to suitable candidate.

Our Hiring Approach:

We are committed to a fair and human-centered recruitment process. We do not use artificial intelligence (AI) or automated decision-making tools to screen resumes, evaluate applications, or make hiring decisions. All candidates are assessed directly by the hiring team.